Its been about a year since I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. A few weeks ago, Samsung Malaysia sent me the next generation A Series for review – the Galaxy A54 5G – so naturally this got me excited.
The all-new improved Samsung Galaxy A54 5G replaces last year’s Galaxy A53 5G, with a fresh design, better camera and an updated processor.
This is my short review of the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Key Specification:
- Body: 158.2×76.7×8.2mm, 202g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
- Display: 6.40″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 403ppi.
- Chipset: Exynos 1380 (5 nm): Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MP5.
- Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@480fps; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
- Others: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.
The Price: Priced at RM1899, the Galaxy A54 5G cost RM50 more than its predecessor but it is a small price to pay for improved features and design.
The Build: The latest A Series mid-ranger comes with a fresh new design that is flat with rounded corners, and more premium quality. My only complaint is the Gorilla Glass 5 on the back easily catches fingerprints and smudges. It can be slippery at times so it is best to use a protective case.
The Display: Compared to the A53, the A54 has a brighter but smaller 120Hz display and you still get one the best smartphone screen in the market. This time, Samsung has included HDR10+ support for Netflix and Youtube which was missing last year.
The Camera: The camera modules looks similar to the ones on Samsung Galaxy S23. The photos taken with the main sensor are excellent in bright environment and decent in low light. Videos taken with the main camera are also great during daylight. The selfie camera appears to be the same as last year which is already good.
The Audio: There are two stereo speakers- top front-firing, bottom side-firing. Audio playback was solid and the sound don’t feel cheap.
Performance: While the A54 gets a new gen Exynos processor, performance may not be consistent at all times, but it isn’t all that bad either. Overall, it should be slightly better compared to the A53 especially when it comes to gaming since the GPU has been improved as well.
Battery: Similar to last year, you get the same 5,000 mAH battery. The phone still supports the slow 25W charging and you will need to get your own charger. A full charge from 5% takes slightly over an hour.
My Recommendations: There many smartphone choices at this price point, but you can only get up to 5 years of updates with Samsung and a 2 year warranty brings you a piece of mind. Samsung has made some improvements to the Galaxy A54 5G including better cameras, WiFi 6 support and it still has one of the best display in its class. If you are looking for a reliable mid-range smartphone, this is the one to go for.
